TROOPS WIPE OUT 44 TERRORISTS IN DEVASTATING ONSLAUGHT. (PHOTO).

 Troops wipe out 44 terrorists in devastating onslaught

In a ferocious and unrelenting offensive, Nigerian troops have obliterated 44 terrorists and left over 25 others critically wounded in a crushing assault under Operation FANSAN YANMA – TSAFTADAJI III (Phase 2) in Zamfara State.

The military campaign, which erupted on February 7, 2025, unleashed a storm of coordinated firepower, targeting notorious insurgent hideouts in the Mashema general area, a stronghold for bandits and militants wreaking havoc in the region.

With 1 Brigade Special Forces spearheading the attack and the Air Component of OPFY delivering precision airstrikes, troops launched a three-pronged assault, smashing through fortified terrorist positions in Kashabawa, Bwarare, and Zaki, before reaching the strategic Sakarawa Hill.

But the battle was far from easy. The insurgents, heavily armed and dug into defensive positions, had laid Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along the troops’ advance route.

Zagazola Makama, Security Analyst and Counter Insurgency Expert, in an X post said in a masterstroke maneuver, the Nigerian forces flanked the enemy positions, dodging deadly traps and unleashing a devastating combined air-and-ground assault that shattered the terrorist ranks.

The sky lit up as Aggressor aircraft swooped in for a second aerial bombardment, wiping out scores of insurgents attempting to regroup.

Meanwhile, in a parallel operation, troops advancing towards Badarawa engaged and cleared multiple terrorist pockets, pushing deep into enemy territory.

Among the high-profile terrorists eliminated were key commanders linked to notorious warlords Bello Turji and Sani Black.

The fallen insurgent leaders included: Sanni Bammuwa, Kachallah Auta (ex-deputy to Sani Black), Audu Gajere, Kabiru Jangeru and Dan-Kane, son of the infamous Audu Jabbi.

Despite the relentless combat and the mine-infested battlefield, the Nigerian troops emerged unscathed, proving once again that terror has no refuge in the face of superior firepower and strategic brilliance.